The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1887-04-29


and distscss. The g. me Thoughts had taken
possession OF Allan's own soul, and loving
Fanny Raenburn with perfect affection, why
should he wish her, in the bright and sunny
days of her youthful prime, TO become chained
to blind mans seps, kept in constant poverty
and drudgery for his sake, and imprisoned in q
Lonesome hut, during the freedom Of her age,
and the joyfulness Of nature ringing over the
earth? 1t has pleased God, said the Blind
Man to himself, that our marriage should not
be. Let Fanny, if .he chooses, some time or
other marry another, and be happy
And as the thought arose, he felt the bitter
mess Of the cup and wished that he might soon
be in his grave. ,.E.a ....
Fanny Raenburn had always been O dutiful
child, and she listened to the arguments Of her
parents with heavy but composed heart.
She was willing to obey them in all things in
which it was her duty TO obey, but here she
knew not what was her duty To give up
Allan Bruce was thought far verse to her
than to give up life. 1t was to suffer her heart
strings TO be hourly torn up by the roots.- If
tho two were willing 10 be married, why should
any one else interfere If God had stricken
Allan with blindness after their marriage,
would any ono have counsclled her 10 leave
him or pitied her because she hal TO live
with her own blind husbaud~? Or would the
fear of poverty have bsnumbcI lIcr feelings
Or rather, would it not have given new slacrity
to her hands, and new courage TO her heart
SO that she resolved, mcckly and calmly, to
tell Allan that she would be his wife, and that
she believed that such was, in spite of this af-
Fiction, the will Of God.
Allan Bruce did not absent himself in his
blindness, from the House Of God. One Sab
bath. after divine service, Fanny went up to
him in the churchyard, and putting her arm in
his, they walked away together. seemingly rs
cheerful as The rest of the congregation, only
with somewhat slower and more cautious steps
They proceeded along the quiet meadow-felds,
by tho banks of the stream, and then across
the smooth green braes, till they gently de-
scended into holm, and sat together in n little
green bower, which q few hazols mingled with
one tall weeping birch had of themselves
framed place where they had often met be-
fore Allan Was blind, and where they had first
spoken Of welded life. Fanny could have
almost wspt to see the earth anil the sky, and
the whole day, go beautiful, new that Allan's
eyes were dark, but hs whispered TO her that
the smell of the budding trees, and of the prim-
roses that he knew were near his feet, WINS
pleasant indeed, and that the singing of tho
little birds made his heart dance within him. 10
Fanny sat beside her blind lover in serene
happiness, and felt strengthened in her con.
1 WI hAr Int tob
Allan, love you so entirely, that to sec you
happy is all that desire ON earth. Till God
made you blind, Allan, knew not how nv
soul could be knit unto yours. knew not the
love tina, was in my heart. To sit with YOU
with my work, to lead you out thu, ON pleas.
ant Saooaths, to take care that your feet do not
stumble, and that nothing shall ever offer vio-
lence to your faco, to suffer no solitude to sur
round you. but that you may know, even in
your darkness, that mine eyes, which God
still permits to SEQ, nre always upon YOU. for
these ends, Allan, will marry thee, my be-
loved Thou must not say nay, for God would
not forgive me if beosme not thy wife
And Fanny fell upon his neck and wept.
There was something in the quiet tone of
her voice, something in the meek fold of her
embrace, something in the long weeping kiss
that she kept breathing teuderly over his brow
and eyes, that justified to tho Blind Man hi,
marriage with such woman.
Let US be married, Fanny, on the day fixed
before lost my sight. Till now 1 knew not
fully either your heart or my own, now fear
nothing. Would, my best friend, could but
sec thy face for one single moment now, but
that can never bev
All things are possible to God, aud although
to human skill your case is hopeless, il is not
utterly so to my heart. Yet if ever it becomes
SO, Allan, then will love thee better even than
do now, if indeed my heart can contain more
affection than that with which it now oyerflow,.'
Allan Bruce and Fanny Raenburn were
married, and although there was felt, by the
most careless heart, to be something sad and
solemn in such nuptals, yet Allan made his
marriage day one Of sober cheerfulness in his
native village. Fanny wore her white ribbons
in the very way that used to be pleasant
to Allan's eyes aud, blind as he
now was, those eyes kindled with a joyful
smile when he turned the clear sightlsss orbs
towards his bride, he saw her within his soul
arrayed in the white dress which he heard all
about him saying SO we'll became her sweet
looks. Her relations and his own partook of
the marriage feast in their cottage there was
the sound of music and dancing feet on the
little green plat At the foot Of the garden, by
the rivers side. Tho brides youngest sister,
who was henoeforth TO be an inmate in the
house, remained when the party went away in
the q nist Of the evening, and peace, content
ment and love folded their wings together over
that humble dwelling
From that day Allan and his wife were per.
fectly happy, and they could not helm wonder |